On the Seine

Paris

Yesterday I went to Montparnasse Cemetery, where many famous writers, painters, intellectuals, and politicians are buried.  My personal favorite tombstones were those of Jean-Paul Sarte, de Beauvoir, Julio Cortázar, César Vallejo, and that of a sculptor whose name I've forgotten.

I broke a sandal here and walked half-way home barefoot, avoiding as best I could the gifts birds and dogs had left on the street (until I found some 10 Euro too-tight sandals to take me to the Metro).  Paris may be beautiful, but it's also dirty--my feet can attest to that.

At the Louvre

Le Jeune Mendiant. Vers 1645-1650, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo;

Verso Frotté á la Piere Noire Pour Transfert Du Tracé du Recto, En Vue de la Gravúre, Francesco Primaticcio (1504 - 1570)

Shakespeare and Company

American Writers in Paris

I went to Shakespeare and Company, a conglomeration of two bookstores founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919 and George Whitman in 1951. Joyce'e Ulysses was published here, and many English-speaking writers and expats have gathered here to share their work throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. I came here to visit my friend Paul, a poet in residence, living in a small room above the bookstore. Here is the view from outside, where Paul and I were listening to a reading of writers from NYU's MFA program.

Out on the Town

Howard is a Professor at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, and business brought him to Paris, where we caught up over drinks and dinner with another friend. After, we drove through the city in Nicolas's Benz--completely unexpected, but a perfect way to see the city lights at night.

Paris

I'm now in Paris for 5 weeks for intensive French language courses.  Here I am in front of the Louvre after a delicious shrimp dinner in the city.